


Gone

by xswestallen



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-16 06:48:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19312840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xswestallen/pseuds/xswestallen
Summary: Barry and Iris mourn their daughter.





	Gone

"I don't have any baby pictures of her."

Iris says it matter of factly. Another devastating realization of what will never be. But at this point, she's numb.

Barry abandoned his coffee on the kitchen counter and went over to his wife. She sat sullen on the couch, staring blankly at a photo. He remember the exact moment when it was taken. Right here in their living room, after a game of Scrabble, their first-and only-family game night, Barry, Iris, and Nora flashed smiles one can only give when blissfully naive about the consequences that always, eventually, catch up to you.

"Every picture is her as an adult." Iris adds. "None of her in diapers, or on her first day of school, or with her friends, or on her birthday, or, or-" She shakes her head. 

Times like these are when Barry is supposed to be strong for his wife. To comfort her, give her reassure that everything will be ok, but he can't do that this time. There's nothing he can do or say that could ease the loss of their daughter. For normal parents, even when they must grieve their child, at least they have photos to look back on. Memories of their baby growing up, becoming the person they said goodbye to. Barry and Iris don't get that.

"You know, I asked her once if she'd show me a few." Iris recalled. "But she said it would be too much of a 'spoiler' if she did." Iris almost laughs as she remember the look on Nora's face.

Barry let out a long breath and put his arm around Iris.

"I should've made her give me one, just one, for just in case. But, I never imagined this would actually happen. I knew it could, but it just- just wouldn't, so I didn't feel like I needed to see them back then, because I thought that someday I'd get to, and I was ok with waiting. But now-" Iris's voice cracked. Her pain finally broke through. "We're never going to see her as a baby." She cried into Barry's shoulder. "We're never going to see her again at all!"

Barry trembled as he held her. 

"I'm so sorry, Iris." 

He wasn't sure what exactly he was apologizing for, maybe it was the fact that he couldn't make the hurt go away, or maybe, it was his guilt that he hadn't forced Nora to go back to 2049 the moment she revealed herself. If only he'd done something, if only he listened to the reason in his head that told him this was dangerous, but he was selfish, he was afraid, he wanted that time with Nora because it may be the only time he could be with her, before she'd lose him. But, he took away all those years Iris would have with her. 

"Oh, Nora." Iris weeped. "I was supposed to make her bad pancakes in the mornings before school."

Barry smiled feebly.

"She was right here, Barry. She'd lived all these years, had this whole life, but now she doesn't get to live it. What's that mean for the future? She was so smart, who's going to be the CSI she was, or would've been, now that she can't. Who's going to save Central City when it's in danger if they don't have XS?"

"I don't know."

"Who's going to....." Iris stopped herself. In place of words, she let out a cry.

"What is it?"

Iris didn't meet Barry's eye. He rubbed her arm encouragingly. 

"You can tell me anything, Iris."

She felt numb again.

"Who's going to be all I have left, when you're gone too?"


End file.
